“Misleading and contrarian ideas, for example, that sunscreen is either useless or harmful, incorporate novelty, shock value, and conspiratorial components that trigger emotions and lead to increased viral potential,” the study noted. Videos critical of sunscreen included claims that sunscreen was toxic and contained carcinogens, sun exposure was not dangerous and that sunscreen prevented tanning. Friedman said while sun exposure can help the body produce vitamin D, foregoing sunscreen protection and risking skin cancer is far more dangerous. “You are purposefully harming yourself,” he said.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO TikTok says it bans health-related misinformation According to TikTok, its community guidelines prohibit health-related misinformation, noting it partners with independent fact-checkers to identify and remove misinformation, the Post reported. Briony Swire-Thompson, an assistant professor at Northeastern University and director of its Psychology of Misinformation Lab, told the Post it was encouraging that the majority of the TikTok videos didn’t contain misinformation and promoted sunscreen. She said the study’s findings align with past research that noted users were more likely to engage with misinformation
about public health.
TikTok, sunscreen misinformation, skin cancer, vitamin D, health misinformation, fact-checkers
People really believe sunscreen is toxic? lol
So basically TikTok is blaming sunscreen now. I feel like half the “misinfo” is just people talking about how you shouldn’t need it every day? Also vitamin D thing—don’t we get that from sun either way??
Wait, I saw a video saying sunscreen blocks your body from absorbing vitamin D so it’s like… harmful?? But the article says opposite like “foregoing it causes skin cancer.” I’m confused because if it blocks vitamin D then isn’t that also a health risk?
Conspiracy people always go “it has carcinogens” but like everything has chemicals, right? I just think the algorithm pushes whatever makes ppl mad, so of course it’ll show “sunscreen is useless” stuff. Also I don’t trust any of these studies tbh, but I do wear sunscreen and I’m not trying to get skin cancer over some TikTok comment.